Locked Away
by HR always live on
Summary: Another multi chapter fic with a very vague plot. Just an excuse for some HR drama and eventual fluffiness. Set around S8. Now complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Another fic from me, and the updates are going to be slower for this one, as it isn't already written. Also the plot is paper thin, and really this is going to be an excuse to have Harry and Ruth locked in a room together. Set roughly in S8.**

* * *

"So, tell me," Harry said to the meeting room at large. Ros turned on the screen and began talking about the drugs runner that was using the UK as a stopping point from South America, before shipping the drugs to Malawi, to be swapped for guns, which would later find their way back into the UK. Technically it was six's remit, but their home terrorists had been unusually quiet, so Harry had agreed to take on some of their case load, as long as it meant his officers didn't need to leave the country.

"So, this is Frank Chambers. Sixty one, retired and rumoured to be at the centre of the drugs ring," Ros said, bringing his picture up on screen. "He made a lot of money working in the corporate sector, but his wife, and his two mistresses have expensive tastes. It seems that he's doing this for the money rather than any ideological reasons. But we need to catch him in the act, and we need to know who his contacts are, who deals with the other end in Malawi."

"Great," Harry said. "So we're going to have to go in aren't we?" It was the obvious solution.

"Yes," Lucas said, taking over. "Six had a cover already set up before they became swamped. This is Jonathan Golding, a business man who wants a piece of the action and is meeting with Chambers to discuss adding heroine to the drugs run. For a slice of the profit of course." Harry looked at the man in question and sighed. It would be him, and he knew it. He was closest to the mans age and stature. Harry was going to have to go undercover. He sighed deeply, just realising that Lucas was still speaking. "Now, the two have never met but Chambers has invited Golding to his mansion in Bedfordshire for a week to discuss business."

"A week?" Harry asked. "That seems like an awfully long time."

"Well," Lucas said darkly with a shrug. "It seems like it's going to involve some r and r, as Golding's mistress was invited too and Chambers' wife is in the south of France for the next month."

"Perfect," Harry said, and the sarcasm was very clear. "So this meeting is a mixture of business and pleasure?"

"Yes," Ros said succinctly. "Golding is in six's custody, but no one knows where he vanished to. People in Egypt think he's here in England, and his English friends think he's still in Egypt.

"So I'm taking his place," Harry said. Suddenly everyone found the wood grain of the table highly interesting and Harry knew he'd forgotten something. The mistress. "And I'm guessing I'm not going alone."

"Well…" Lucas said, looking uncomfortable. He didn't finish and Ros sighed with impatience.

"We think Ruth would be a very good suggestion," Ros said.

"Me?" Ruth asked blankly, speaking up for the first time. "Why me?"

"Well, Marianne is brunette…"

"Oh, so pick me of course," Ruth said sarcastically. "The one who isn't a field agent, just on the basis of the colour of my hair. That makes sense!"

"It's not just that," Ros said. "We need someone to send the information to while you're on site, and it'll be encrypted. We need someone who has your talent for digging."

"Oh that's a pathetic excuse," Ruth said. "I don't want to listen to this anymore." Ruth left the room, leaving everyone else highly uncomfortable.

"Ros I'd like a word," Harry said, his tone silkily threatening. She seemed unperturbed, but everyone else ran for the exit. "Did you have to spring that on both of us like that?"

"It's an operation Harry," Ros said simply. "Are things between you and Ruth anything other than professional?"

"Rosalind," he said warningly.

"It's a job," she said. "And honestly, you being with Ruth would be believable to Chambers. Because there is clearly something between the pair of you. It will be believable," Ros said gently.

Harry did nothing but glower. He didn't discuss his personal relationship with Ruth at the best of times. But it seemed Ros wasn't finished. "Ruth is intelligent, and we need someone like her in the house. You're a brilliant undercover officer Harry, but her brilliance in a different way is necessary. Look, you're more than welcome to have a look through the undercover operatives we have on the books, and take your pick. But be honest Harry, if you had to be stuck in a country mansion for a week, who would you rather be with you?"

Harry hated to admit it, but she had a point. "I wish you hadn't sprung it on both Ruth and myself. That was tasteless."

"Well, maybe," Ros said. "You need to talk to her. Someone with her talents does need to be with you, and we both know she's the best."

"Ros, keep your nose out of my relationship," Harry said firmly. "What happens between Ruth and myself is none of your business."

"Understood," Ros said. "Talk to her though. You never know." With that Ros flounced out of the room, leaving Harry alone. He did need to speak to Ruth, that much was clear.

Walking back onto the grid, he stopped behind her desk. "A word in my office," he said. Then realising that might be too harsh, he added. "Please."

She looked at him, realising he was actually asking her rather than demanding it of her and nodded. She followed him, feeling peoples eyes on her back until they walked through to his office and the door mercifully closed. "Harry?"

"I did not arrange that little floor show," Harry said, sitting down. He nodded at her to do the same and she did. "I had no idea what Ros and Lucas had cooked up, nor what they were suggesting."

"I know," she said quietly. "I could tell from the look on your face."

"I… well, I have to go to see Chambers," he said. "We need someone there, and I'm the best physical fit. I'd like you to accompany me, but if you don't want to, that's fine. I'll pilfer someone from section A."

She smiled at him, a tight forced smile and he knew she was thinking it through. Thinking over every angle. He stayed silent, knowing she was debating it, and he was pleased. It meant it wasn't a straight no. "Do you actually need me there?" she asked. "To do my job, to get the analysis done?"

"I need someone with me, and I need someone who is more competent with computers than I am," he said. "Would it require someone of your brilliance? Probably not. But I… I'd like you to come with me," he admitted. "I wouldn't want to share it with anyone else. It would feel less like a chore if I had the pleasure of your company."

She smiled, a soft genuine Ruth smile at him. "Okay," she said without pausing to examine the ramifications of that sentence. After all, it was exactly what she wanted to do. For once she was listening to her heart, not her brain. "I'll go with you then."

"Do you mean that?"

"Yes," she said. "I'll tell Tariq. Get him to prepare my legend."

"Okay," Harry said. "That'd be good, but you have to stick to Marianne… whatever her name is. The details have to work with that one."

"Of course," she said, all business now. "When do we leave?"

"Friday morning," he said.

"The day after tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "Golding is expected then. Is that… okay?"

"Yes," she said, privately thinking she had to buy some more clothes. If she was going undercover as Harry's mistress… Jonathan Golding's mistress, she reminded herself, she needed something more flattering than the dowdy and office related outfits she normally wore. Because no one would look at her and believe that Harry would be having an affair with her. New clothes were a must. She wasn't doing it to impress Harry, of course not. It was purely work related. And she might even be able to get it on her expense account. It was for an operation after all.

* * *

"Tariq, can you arrange a legend for me in the name of Marianne Glover please?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," he said, seeming flustered but hiding his surprise well. "It'll be ready with Harry's in an hour or two."

"Great." Ruth sat down behind her desk and she could feel Jo's eyes boring into the back of her head. "What?"

"So you're going to Chambers house then?"

"Yes," Ruth said. "It's work related," she added.

"Of course," Jo said, her lips twitching. "I never expected anything else." Ruth nodded, but she knew damn well what everyone would be saying. No Ruth, don't listen. Your own feelings are more important. And she wanted to go. Did it matter what anyone else said?

* * *

**More soon. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

The next day Ruth took the morning off, after explaining to Harry that she needed to go shopping. She was embarrassed about using work time to do personal stuff, but she kept reminding herself it was for operational purposes. Which didn't explain why she found herself lingering in the lingerie section, looking at the array of underwear and wondering which colour Harry would like her in best. No, it couldn't explain that at all.

She knew it was irrational, and most likely Harry would never see them, but… it couldn't hurt to be prepared could it? And she'd be mortified if they did get that far and all she had on were her boring plain knickers.

She found a black lace bra which she really liked the look of and carefully went through the rack. It was almost as if she were afraid of anyone seeing her buying underwear. Which was ridiculous. She was at perfect liberty to buy whatever she wanted. Of course she was. She found her size and saw an attached thong with it. Touching the flimsy material she shook her head. No, this wasn't something Ruth would wear. A bit of black elastic? But she wasn't going to be Ruth was she? She was going to be Marianne Glover. Ruth bit her lip, and after a moments hesitation she picked up that style in four different colours and took the underwear to the counter.

* * *

That night she was packing, and memorising all the information on her legend, two things which weren't conducive to each other. On top of that, her phone rang. She wedged it in between her shoulder and ear. "Yes?"

"Hi Ruth, it's Harry," he said, his voice sounding both a little strained and a little… what? She couldn't quite define it.

"Oh. Hi," she said.

"I've caught you at a bad time," he said.

"No, I'm packing," she said. "And teaching my memory that I'm Marianne Glover. It's coming along slowly."

"For a woman of your capabilities, I can hardly believe that." She blushed at the compliment. Inside her case were the new outfits she'd bought, everything that she'd feel comfortable wearing but just a little more… well, a little more. Ruth reached the shopping bag that held her new underwear and her fingers traced over the lace lightly. "Ruth, are you there?" Harry asked.

"Yes," she said. "Sorry, I was miles away."

"You should sleep," he said, lightly chastising her.

"I'll pack first, then sleep," she said. "What did you want?"

"Hmm?"

"You called me," she said.

"Ah, yes," he said, suddenly seeming uncomfortable. "I did. I wanted to tell you that… if you really don't want to come, you don't have to. I mean it's an undercover operation, and I think I might have presumed too much. You're a desk officer after all. Not to negate your work, you're absolutely brilliant at what you do, I just…"

Ruth smiled at his rambling. He was nervous. God, Harry Pearce was nervous about going away with her for a week. The thought was flattering. "Harry, slow down," she said. "Our legends are all sorted and planned, you've left it to the last minute to ask about my feelings."

"I know," he said. "I've been selfish."

"Harry, this is a professional operation," she said slowly, even as she cut the price tags off of her newly acquired bra. "There is no reason I should be uncomfortable sharing a room with you, is there?"

"No," he said after a moment.

"Look, this is important and it needs to be done," she said. "If I was uncomfortable or was going to back out, I'd never have let my legend be arranged in the first place. I don't do things without thinking them through."

"Okay," he said. "I'll pick you up at nine then. For the drive up?"

"Perfect," she said.

"I'm… I'll be driving a rather… ostentatious car. After all, I'm meant to be Jonathan Golding and he's quite… flashy with his money."

"What car is it?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"I'll let you be… suitably surprised when I arrive," he said. She knew he wouldn't budge and she smiled into the phone. "Well, I should go."

"Yes, I'll see you in about ten hours," she said, looking at the clock.

"Looking forward to it." She put the phone down and finished packing, all the while thinking of Harry. She wondered what the week would hold. And she wasn't thinking about the case they were working on either.

* * *

In the morning Ruth ate breakfast, but she was wondering about Harry. She was both nervous, worried and excited. A very odd combination.

Suddenly there was a knock on her door and she quickly answered it. Harry stood there, a dark jacket over a white shirt which was unbuttoned at the throat. The small patch of skin held her attention for longer than it should before her eyes reached his face. He was smiling. "Ready?"

"Yes," she said. "Let me grab my case." He ignored this, walking past her to pick it up himself. She smiled at his gentlemanly behaviour and then she saw the car.

"Wow."

"Yes," he said. "Apparently this was in Jonathan Golding's garage and we're making full use of it."

"Bloody hell."

"Well, when will I ever get the chance to drive an Aston Martin ever again?"

"Is that your excuse?" she asked, smiling at the look of eager anticipation on his face.

"Come on, you know what men are like with cars," he said, opening the passenger side door for her in a surprising gesture. She sat down and felt this his enthusiasm for the car wasn't as annoying as it maybe should have been.

"Good luck driving through London rush hour traffic with this," Ruth said as he sat in the drivers seat. He grinned as he started the car, and it was infectious.

"You look great," he said. She looked down at herself and shrugged. She was wearing a white blouse and a knee length skirt. Her legs were bare from the knee down and he'd never seen her showing so much flesh. Of course, sitting down in the car, he couldn't see much, but he had had an appreciative view of her calves as she walked to the car. He took another look at her, and then swallowed uncomfortably. She was wearing a black bra, which could be seen through the thin white shirt. Only just, but he could definitely see it. God, how was he going to control himself this week?

Ruth had seen him looking and she blushed a little. "I am meant to be undercover as a cheap tart," she said as a reminder.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to… look." He sighed for a moment. "Sorry. And I don't think Marianne Glover is cheap by any means." He nodded at the car in question and she laughed.

"True," she said. "Shall we rehearse our legends?"

Harry sighed, feeling them slip back into work mode, but he nodded in agreement.

* * *

**More soon. Thank you so much for the reviews and encouragement for chapter one.**


	3. Chapter 3

They'd got out of London and were driving on remarkably quiet roads. The atmosphere inside the car was relaxed, but with a hint of nervousness for the operation they were about to undergo. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "A bit worried about what I'll have to do, but yes."

"You'll be fine," he said. "I'll be talking business, illegal and otherwise with Chambers while you either talk nonsense to his mistress, or feign illness and try to hack into his computer network. You're more than capable."

"You have faith in me," she said simply.

"Of course I do," he said, catching her eye. "I always have."

"Turn right here," she said quietly. Harry looked out of the windscreen and saw that he'd very nearly missed the entryway to Chambers mansion. He turned and saw some wrought iron gates. Harry was about to press the intercom, but the gates automatically opened.

"Ah, so we're being watched," Harry said quietly, as he went down the driveway. Ruth affixed a smile to her face, and he reached across to her and squeezed her hand. "It'll be okay," he said. "Trust me."

She nodded and then took a deep breath as she saw Chambers coming out of his house, a smile on his face. Harry opened the car door and stood up, shaking hands with his host for the week. "Ah Jonathan, at last."

Harry smiled, keeping half an eye on Ruth all the time. "It's great to finally be here Frank," Harry said.

"And who is this beautiful lady with you?" he asked, nodding at Ruth.

"This is Marianne Glover," Harry said, keeping a hand on Ruth's arm tightly.

"Marianne, this is a business associate of mine, Frank Chambers."

"It's lovely to meet you," Ruth said as Frank shook her hand gently.

"And you," he said. "I'd introduce you to Holly, but she's occupied at present." Frank sighed, then shook his head. "Let me show you to your suite." They followed him for the tour of his mansion which was both large and impressive. He even had a swimming pool in the garden and a Jacuzzi as well.

"Here we are," Frank said. "I hope everything's to your liking, and I'll see you at dinner later?"

It was only one o'clock in the afternoon, so Harry frowned at that very slightly, and Frank chuckled. "I thought you might like to… have some time to **_rest_**," he added pointedly, his eyes flicking to Ruth, scanning over her body, and Harry caught his meaning at once. "There's no rush after all. Dinner's at seven, and make yourself at home." Frank Chambers left and Ruth breathed a sigh of relief. Then she looked around the massive room.

"God, this is like a five star hotel," Ruth said. Harry put his finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet and she got the point. They hadn't checked for bugs yet. Harry opened his suitcase and quickly started scanning the room. It took a good ten minutes to do the whole room, including the en suite, but they were free. He nodded at her, indicating it was safe. "I've never stayed somewhere like this. It's so… luxurious, and opulent." She walked to the French windows and saw the balcony, already equipped with a bottle of iced champagne and two glasses.

"You haven't seen the bathroom yet," he said. Ruth looked at him for a moment and then walked through to the en suite. It was beautiful, including a large walk in shower with ten different settings and power jets, a free standing bath big enough for three people and a light switch with several settings, including candlelight which cast the room in a soft romantic glow. It was such a shame she and Harry were here for work.

"Clearly running arms and heroin is a profitable business," Harry said, coming behind her. Ruth suddenly felt her heart race because he was too close for comfort. She could even feel the heat of him behind her.

"I should… set up the computer," she said half heartedly, both wanting to break away from the contact and wishing she was brave enough to prolong it.

"Okay," he said. They walked back into the bedroom and Ruth kicked off her shoes. She was wearing heels which her feet were unaccustomed to and they ached. She took her laptop out of her suitcase and started to switch it on, sitting on the very large bed as she did so. It was a feather mattress she noticed, and very comfortable. Harry meanwhile had found the champagne on the side table in an ice bucket and brought it back to Ruth. "Want a glass of champagne?"

"We're working," she said, a slight note of disapproval in her voice.

"Yes," he said. "But business won't be discussed today. We're "settling in" as Frank put it," he said with raised eyebrows. "Go on, I hate drinking alone."

"One glass," she said with a smile. "Any more than that and I tend to lose my rationality. Champagne goes to my head."

"I'll remember that," he said, voice low and seductive and she blushed. She put her feet up on the bed, laying down with the laptop on her lap, propped up by pillows as Harry poured. He passed her one flute and she smiled.

"God, that's real champagne isn't it?" she said after taking a sip.

"A woman who can tell a real champagne from an imitation," Harry said quietly. "Very impressed."

She smiled back at him, connecting the computer to the grid and typing in the long string of pass codes. "I'm sure you have some hidden talents," she said, and she knew she was flirting. She couldn't help it. Harry made it so easy sometimes. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she smiled charmingly.

"I do have hidden talents," he agreed quietly. Her lips twitched with amusement. He looked at her eyes for a long moment before backing up a step and finishing his glass in one. He poured himself a second and Ruth shook her head when he hovered it over the top of hers.

"No," she said. "We are here for work remember?"

"Ah yes," he said. "Work."

"Notorious drug dealer, shipping arms across all corners of the world?" Ruth suggested.

"Ah yes," Harry said. "That. Have you linked it up to the grid yet?"

"Yes," she said. "Now we wait."

"Absolutely," Harry said.

* * *

"You know that was a monumentally stupid thing to have done," Lucas was saying to both Jo and Ros.

"What was?" Ros asked with assumed innocence.

"Does Frank Chambers really need the section head and his analyst alone for a week up in the middle of nowhere?" Lucas asked. "Six have enough evidence to arrest him."

"Yes, but he isn't going anywhere," Jo pointed out. "He has no idea that we're on to him, and his passport is on the watch lists. He can't escape the country."

"Which begs the question, why are you sending Ruth and Harry there?" Lucas continued.

"You don't know," Jo said. "You weren't there three years ago when she had to leave him. It broke his heart."

"I didn't know he had one," Lucas said darkly.

"Look, they both want to be together," Jo said.

"Absolutely," Ros added with a little smirk. "And if they can't make it work when locked up in a house that looks like a hotel for a week and sharing the same bed, then they never will. We're just giving them a little…"

"Nudge in the right direction," Jo finished. Lucas rolled his eyes at the pair of them. Then he focused on Jo.

"This was your plan right?"

"Yes," she admitted. "But Ros instigated it. What could it hurt? If things become drastic over here, we'll pull them out. They could do with some time together. Away from these four walls."

Lucas shrugged. "If Harry finds out you did this on purpose, he'll kill you."

"That rather depends on how well things go with Ruth, don't you think?" Ros said with a smile.

"If they messed things up again, he'll be angry," Lucas warned.

"Ah well," Ros said. "Even those two can't fail when locked in a room together."

"I don't know," Jo said with her raised eyebrows perfectly suggestive. "They have history on their side. The "are we or aren't we", you know?" Ros said nothing but she walked off easily, a spring in her step.

* * *

**I know Ros is out of character here, but it was just too fun to write it this way. More soon and thank you for the reviews so far.**


	4. Chapter 4

Harry had been shown the grounds by Chambers while Ruth rested. Or checked how things were progressing on the grid, which was more likely. She wasn't needed anywhere at the moment and she said she felt better if she were able to contact the grid at a moments notice. Harry tried to lead Chambers into discussing the heroin smuggling, but he wasn't biting. "Plenty of time to discuss that Jonathan. Just enjoy the weekend. We'll turn to business later." Harry couldn't do much but agree.

When he came back up to the hotel room he found Ruth asleep on the bed. She looked so peaceful that it was with a great reluctance that he shut the door, the click making her stir. "Mm?"

"Hi," he said.

"Oh God, I didn't mean to sleep," she said, sitting up. "I told you champagne goes straight to my head."

Harry smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. He held her hand gently. "Dinner's in an hour," he said lightly.

"Great, I'm starving," she said. "Has he said anything?"

"No," Harry said. "He's told me to enjoy the weekend and discuss things on Monday."

"Great," she said with a sigh. "I'm just going to have a shower." Harry nodded and listened to her as she locked the bathroom, and he waited for the shower to start running. It did quite quickly and he lost himself in the moment, imagining the water running over Ruth's soft naked skin. It was a wonderful image to be lost with. It wasn't until the shower stopped running that he realised he'd done nothing except sit on the bed and listen. Listen and imagine about her naked skin.

"Snap out of it Pearce," he told himself.

"Snap out of what?" Ruth asked. He turned and saw her, and she was a vision. She was wrapped in a white fluffy dressing gown, her hair dripping onto her shoulders and her legs damp. He couldn't see the rest of her, but the immediacy of her hit him. All it would take would be four steps and a tug on the tie, holding the dressing gown shut, and then she'd be naked in his arms. No Harry, that's in your fantasies. Of course it wouldn't happen in real life and he'd be stupid to act on it.

"Sorry," he said. "Just talking to myself," he added. His eyes drifted over her neck and upper chest, the part revealed by what she wore. He couldn't help it. Ruth cleared her throat and he looked in her eyes again. "God I'm sorry. I'll just…" He turned away from her and was at the door when he realised he had nowhere to be. Ruth was smiling at him, pleased that she'd had this effect on him.

"Harry don't run away from me," she said quietly. He turned and faced her, unsure precisely what she meant by that. "Look, we both know why I'm here, and it has little to do with my skills as an analyst."

"Ruth…"

"Or have I completely misread the situation?" she asked. He simply looked at her, not knowing how to formulate the words to say how much he wanted her without scaring her off. Even this new bolder Ruth. "Oh. Okay," she said, blushing vividly red.

"No, Ruth wait," he said as she returned to the bathroom. She flicked the lock and he suddenly felt like a complete idiot. "Ruth, I didn't mean… you haven't misread it, I just…" she wasn't answering and Harry sighed heavily and from his very soul. "I just didn't know what to say."

He gave up for the time being, and got changed out of his crumpled shirt into a fresh one. He'd talk to her when she emerged, and make her see sense. See that he hadn't meant his silence in a bad way.

* * *

Ruth came out looking stunning. She wore a black dress which was simple but elegant, her arms on show. Her hair was still slightly damp and curling at the ends and she really did look breathtaking. She looked away from him, clearly embarrassed and he reached for her. He held one hand at her waist and she froze. "I was surprised by what you said," he said calmly. "I was so surprised that I was speechless, and you took that the wrong way. We never speak so plainly to each other."

She smiled at that. "No, we don't," she agreed.

"You have not misread the situation, I assure you," he said. "If I had to be here, I wanted to be here with you. Even though your talents are useful to the operation, it was you I wanted."

Her smile turned broader at this. "Really?"

"Yes," he said. Then he took a risk. He leaned towards her and brushed his lips against hers. It was so gentle and quick it had no more pressure than a touch of fingertips. He didn't want to do anything she didn't want. God, he could just imagine the sexual harassment suit lying on his desk next week.

"Harry," she said, her voice carrying a note he'd never heard before and couldn't quite define. She grabbed his arm and held tightly, looking into his hazel eyes. "Just… don't move." He didn't. He wasn't even convinced he was breathing. She leaned closer and kissed him. Not a chaste kiss either. She flicked her tongue against him, and that was the moment when he responded. He opened his lips and the kiss was instantly ratcheted up several notches in passion. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and he placed one hand carefully on the small of her back, the other stroking her hair.

They might have kept going had there not been a knock at the door. Ruth was tempted to ignore it, and judging from his enthusiasm, so was he. But then the door opened and their host, Frank Chambers came in, grinning at them with their arms around each other and their tongues down each others throats.

"Oh I see I'm interrupting," he said, the tone smarmy to the nth degree. "Just came to check if you were still joining us, or saving your energies for more enjoyable exploits?"

Harry could have punched him. Would have, had he not been on an operation. "We'll be down momentarily," Harry said, forcing a smile onto his face.

"Excellent." Frank smiled at Ruth. "Marianne, you are looking beautiful this evening." Ruth smiled at him, and Frank could sense his unwelcome intrusion and he left quite quickly.

"I locked that door," Harry said.

"So he's got a key," Ruth said with a sigh of disappointment. "We should go."

"Are we going to talk about… that? What just happened?"

"No," she said. "Why don't we just go with it? It happened, and that's it." He looked at her, beyond surprised at this casualness. "Enjoyable as it was. And no matter how much I might hope for a repeat."

"Okay," he said, holding onto that hope. "That sounds… ideal." Ruth's eyes flicked towards him for a moment before they left their room, locking it behind them.

* * *

**More soon, (I hope!)**


	5. Chapter 5

"Well that was dull," Ruth said, closing the door behind her.

"Really?" Harry asked as he moved a chair to the door, making doubly sure no one could get in. He'd actually found Frank to be relatively good and intelligent company, with just the minor off putting fact that he was a terrorist. Ruth grabbed a tissue before replying, removing her lipstick which she hated. She used it for her legend, but she hated the red smear on her face, so she wanted to remove it as soon as possible.

"I could feel my brain cells dying off as I tried to engage that bimbo in conversation," she replied.

"She's not that bad."

"Really?" Ruth said. "She's a blonde airhead with no substance about her. And her boobs are as full of air as her head."

"Ouch," Harry said with raised eyebrows.

"Oh come on, did you think she provided startling insight to all of the discussion topics?" Ruth asked sweetly.

"Granted she seems like someone you're surprised has learnt to read, but be nice," Harry said.

"Now who's being catty?" she said. He smiled at her as she bent her head to remove her earrings. She caught his eye and smiled. He was watching in her in an almost… was it a lustful way? Well, a girl could hope. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

"I was wondering if another kiss was on the cards," he said. Ruth knew he'd drunk a bit of whisky, because normally he wouldn't be that straight forward and blunt with her, but she appreciated the honesty. She took off her minimal jewellery and when she looked up, she found him right behind her. A moment later his hands snuck around her waist, and she could feel the warmth of his palms through the material. To have that on her bare naked skin would be amazing. Maybe if she hadn't been so afraid and she hadn't run away from Harry at every opportunity, she might have had it sooner.

He kissed her neck for a moment, his soft lips brushing across her skin and she shivered. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No," she said. Never her sub consciousness was screaming at her. Never let him go. She turned around in his arms and kissed him passionately. All too soon it came to an end, Harry backing away from her with a breathless "no."

She looked at his flushed face and realised how worked up he was getting and she felt a little proud of herself. "We shouldn't," he said. "Not here and not now."

Ruth knew he had a point and as much as she didn't want to admit it. They were undercover and needed to keep their wits about them, speaking of which… "We haven't…" Ruth pointed around the room in a vague way.

Harry got the point immediately. He reached into his case and got the scanner and started on the room. The room was clean, except for the bedside lamp. The scanner started flashing and they both looked at each other. A bug was here, listening to them. What had they said? Ruth ran the conversation back in her mind and she didn't think she'd said anything damaging. But what now?

If they removed it, it would be clear that they were spies and Frank Chambers was being watched. If they didn't remove it, everything they said would be being monitored. How could they get rid of it?

He saw the moment it happened. Ruth's eyes lit up with an idea. She leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear as quietly as possible. "I have an idea. Just… go with it." Harry shivered as her breath rushed over his skin, but he nodded. Then she kissed him deeply. He hid his surprise well, and responded to the embrace with passion. Ruth's palms were on his chest, pushing him backwards towards the bedroom lamp and he understood what she was doing. He felt a brief stab of disappointment for the reason she was doing this, but he decided to just enjoy the moment. She sighed and moaned into his mouth and Harry could feel his body responding to her.

His body hit the table and made sure to push the lamp onto the floor. Ruth let out a very un Ruth like giggle as she stepped on the small black bug on the floor and ground it into the carpet, making sure it broke under her heel. "Oh, look what we've done!" She dropped her hands from him and he watched after her in bewilderment as she went through to the bathroom, presumably to change. At least it gave Harry enough time to get his body under control.

When she emerged back into the room, she was wearing a very attractive nightgown which ended somewhere around her thighs, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the beautiful skin of her legs. Ruth cleared her throat, and Harry realised he'd been staring.

"I'll sleep on the sofa," he said, nodding towards it in their very large room.

"Don't be ridiculous," Ruth said. "The bed is more than big enough for both of us. In fact, it's big enough for a family of six." He looked at her, debating whether he should argue or not. His back wouldn't thank him for a night on the sofa, that was for sure. "Besides," she continued, getting into bed and pulling the duvet over her. "I trust you."

"Okay," he said. "I'll be back in five minutes." She nodded and he went through to the bathroom to get undressed, wondering what he should wear in bed with Ruth. In his fantasies, the first time he slept in a bed with Ruth, it had always been after sex, so in his mind, he'd be naked. The reality was filled with many more land mines than that though. He had to sleep in something, so it had to be his shirt and boxer shorts. If he wore any more he wouldn't sleep, and any less might make Ruth uncomfortable. Although, sleeping next to her, he didn't anticipate a good nights sleep in the first place.

When he came back into the bedroom the lights were off and Ruth was curled up under the duvet, looking to all intents and purposes to be sleeping. "Stop thinking and get in next to me," she said.

He took her advice. He laid down and closed his eyes, not really expecting "Ruth I want to ask you a question," he said.

"Mm?"

"Were you… kissing me because you wanted to, or just to remove the bug?"

"Both," she said, and even though he couldn't see her he knew she was smiling. "Go to sleep Harry. I know your brain, and I know you need to sleep. Switch off and sleep."

He knew he wouldn't be able to totally turn his mind off, he never could when he was on an operation, but having her here certainly helped.

* * *

Ruth woke up first, much to her surprise. She knew from working with him for years that Harry was a morning person. First from necessity, then from habit. So it surprised her that she'd woken first. Looking at the clock, she saw why. It was only half past five. A bit too early to be social then. She rolled over and looked at Harry, watching him sleep. A novelty she hadn't expected to experience. His face was relaxed in sleep, the lines on his face were less deep and he looked so at peace.

The only thing she felt sad about missing was to see his hazel eyes. Eyes which were always on her with warmth, intelligence and a shrewd look that always made her feel that he was seeing straight through her. It would be nice to see them without feeling like he knew everything that she thought and felt. That look usually intimidated her, but the rational part of her knew she was over sensitive to it. And she was over sensitive because she felt so deeply for him. And she had an inkling it was reciprocated. Or more than an inkling if she were being honest with herself.

"You're watching me."

"Yes," she said, feeling it was pointless to deny it. His eyes were still closed, but he was smiling.

"Like what you see?" he asked. She was momentarily thrown, but realised he was still half asleep.

"Very much," she said. His eyes popped open in surprise and she laughed lightly. He leaned over and kissed her briefly.

"Good morning."

"Mm," she said. "So, what are we doing today?"

Harry sighed, being brought out of his fantasy to the realities of their operation. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to deal with the airhead."

"Holly, perfect," Ruth said.

"And I'm going to have words with Chambers about the drugs run. I doubt I'll get anything out of him yet. We're still too new."

"Perfect," Ruth said. "So, give me a suggestion about things I can talk about with Holly. I have no idea what to say to her. We're completely different people."

"Google the latest celebrity gossip," Harry said. "I'm sure those rags are her bible."

"You know, we're stereotyping her terribly," Ruth said. "She's very nice, just not… suitably intelligent."

"Not what you were saying last night."

"Yes, but I've had several hours of sleep to calm down now." She smiled at him. "I can cope with her. I'm worried about you though. Frank is dangerous."

"Yes," he said. "But he isn't going to harm me."

"Mm," Ruth said. "I like you in one piece."

"So do I," he said. Ruth smiled, kissed him, then rolled over, intending to go back to sleep.

"Ruth?"

"It's early. Go back to sleep," she said.

"Okay." And they both did.

* * *

**More soon ish. Thank you for the reviews so far.**


	6. Chapter 6

Ruth, Harry and their hosts had a late breakfast in the rather vast dining room. It was rather impressive, even to Ruth's eye. Afterwards, Frank was intending to take Harry out to the grounds again. Apparently they were going to discuss business while fishing, and Ruth caught the look of horror on Harry's face before he hid it. Fishing wasn't exactly Harry's idea of time well spent. Ruth laughed to herself, doing her best to keep it off of her face. She sweetly apologised to Frank for the broken lamp, her eyes on Harry to make her point and Frank was rather gracious about it. However, her smile well and truly disappeared with Holly's next suggestion.

"How about us girls go for a swim today?"

"What?" Ruth said, forgetting her legend for a moment.

"The pools great, and it looks like a sunny day today."

"I… er… don't have anything to wear," Ruth said. This was perfectly true as she hadn't thought to pack her swimming costume. She'd been so occupied with which underwear Harry might like if he ever saw it that any other packing really had been a minor concern.

"Oh I have loads of stuff," Holly said in a falsely bright voice. "I'm sure you'll find something you like."

Ruth smiled and nodded. She couldn't really say no after all, and she hadn't had a good swim in ages. "That'd be great."

* * *

Going through Holly's wardrobe Ruth was astounded by the amount of swimming costumes and bikinis that Holly owned and how skimpy they were. And some were clearly before her breast enlargement judging by the size of them.

"I couldn't bear to throw them out," Holly said. "After all, Frank paid for these," she added, looking down at her own breasts. "The least he could do was buy me a new wardrobe. Help yourself."

Ruth went through them trying to find one she'd feel comfortable in. She found a black one which looked suitable. It was a bikini but it covered up more than some of the one pieces she looked at. "I'll just try it on," she said with a smile.

* * *

Ruth did feel self conscious about herself, but as soon as she started swimming her lengths, her self consciousness vanished. She felt good in the water and loved swimming. Holly simply sat on an inflatable chair, sunbathing as she dipped her toes in the water. "You're a really good swimmer," Holly said.

"I had lots of time to practice," Ruth said before she thought about it.

"Really, when?" Holly asked.

Ruth knew she had to tread very carefully. "I spent a year in Cyprus," she said. "Not much to do once you've got bored of the beach."

"What were you doing in Cyprus?"  
"Er…" Ruth said, trying to think of a convincing lie.

"Oh," Holly said. "Being a kept woman, right?"

"Something like that," Ruth said. For the first time she realised how close to the truth that actually was. It made her highly uncomfortable. She dipped her head under the water for a moment, then coming up for air.

"So, what about Jonathan?" Holly asked, sadly not changing the subject. "Is it love, lust or the money?"

Ruth remembered her legend just in time. "I don't know. A mixture of the three I guess. You?"

"Money," Holly said. "Absolutely the money. Frank isn't going to be around forever, and I'm thirty five years younger than him. And I know he has a wife tucked away in Spain or Italy or somewhere. I'm taking all I can get, because he'll lose me soon enough. All the money he's giving me to go "buy something pretty" is going in a bank account of mine. For when he dumps me."

Ruth privately thought that was a mixture of cynical and practical. "Isn't that a little… negative?"

"It's practical," Holly said. "I'm taking care of my future." Suddenly the door of the kitchen opened and Harry came out. How long had he been there? Had he heard anything, or everything?

"What are you doing here?" Ruth asked, leaning against the side of the pool.

"I came back to pick up lunch," he said, lifting the picnic basket in illustration. "Frank said he'd call the staff but I needed the exercise."

"An excuse to see Marianne in next to nothing, more like," Holly said tartly. She got out of her inflatable with a splash and swum over to the opposite end of the pool.

"Well she's right," Harry said, leaning down. "I am doing it to see how fabulous you look." She blushed a vivid red and he smiled. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she said. "The pools heated, it's wonderful."

"Good." He kissed her softly and briefly and she smiled when he stood up.

"Go have fun," she said, rewarded by a slightly disdainful look from Harry. There was a splash and they both turned around as Holly got out of the pool in her bright yellow two piece which hid absolutely nothing, including the rather obvious nipple piercing. Ruth turned back to Harry and felt slightly offended by the fact that Harry's eyes were glued to Holly's chest.

"They're plastic," Ruth said bluntly, but quietly.

"I wasn't looking," he said.

"Yes Harry, you were." Harry looked at her, but Ruth was still smiling at him.

"We'll continue this conversation later," Harry said.

"Marianne, Jacuzzi?"

"Sure," Ruth said. She looked at Harry and realised that he was waiting for her to get out of the pool. She smiled, and thought that she'd indulge him. She got out and as the water dripped off of her, she could almost feel Harry's eyes on her bum. Then she turned and his eyes were most certainly on her breasts. Ruth felt a little thrill of pleasure that she could attract his attention for at least as long as Holly, if not a little longer. "Jonathan."

"Mm," Harry said. Then his eyes snapped back into focus and he nodded. "I'll go." He planted a soft kiss on her lips, turned and left. Ruth smiled in his wake.

* * *

"I wasn't looking," Harry said later that night. Ruth had just got out of the shower and was towel drying her hair, a dressing gown wrapped around her as he sat on the bed and shrugged his shoulders, which were aching from the long days work. Fishing was always work for him.

"Yes Harry, you were looking at her," she said simply.

"Ruth…"

"I don't blame you," she said. "I mean, she wasn't wearing enough material to make a glove. I almost couldn't stop staring at her myself." He smiled at her. "I'd just… rather you wanted to look at me instead." She was blushing quite prettily, but he was taking in her words, and realised this was the biggest step forward they'd had in weeks.

"You want me to look at you?" he asked.

"I would like it," she admitted. "Yes."

"I do look at you," he said. "Of course I do." She smiled at him, feeling rather pleased. Then he kissed her gently. "Mm, your lips are so soft," he murmured. He reached for her again, his hand holding her shoulder and the dressing gown slipped slightly. "I love how you feel when you've had a shower," he added.

"What, wet?" Harry's face went blank with shock and she laughed. "Look, we need to grace Frank Chambers with our presence for dinner."

"Yes," Harry said with a sigh. He'd much rather continue the evening with Ruth, but he knew they were needed downstairs. And when Ruth switched the hair dryer on, the moment was well and truly broken.

* * *

**I'm a little bit stuck, but more will be posted when I've written it.**


	7. Chapter 7

"This is beautiful," Ruth said. They had had a wonderful dinner and were currently going through Frank Chambers rather impressive art collection. And Ruth was highly impressed, even though she recognised at least three works as having been stolen and reported missing. They were beautiful, and Harry loved the awed look on her face as she looked over the paintings.

"Marianne, you are a woman who appreciates fine art aren't you?" Frank asked.

"I do indeed," she agreed. "I love art."

"Have you been to Paris?"

"Once," she said. "I didn't have the time to go through the museums though." She caught Harry's eye for a moment and he smiled at her. Almost as if he were saying that one day he would take her to Paris.

"I'm bored," Holly said with a sigh. She'd seen these portrait's a hundred times before and she didn't appreciate art to begin with.

"Jonathan, my friend, can you see Holly to her room? I'd like to discuss my collection with Marianne." Harry didn't like leaving Ruth alone with him, but on the spur of the moment he couldn't find a good objection, and Holly was looking at him expectantly. So he kissed Ruth's cheek and went upstairs, Holly's hand on his arm.

Ruth felt her security vanish along with Harry, but Frank had done nothing to worry her. Instead he nodded for her to follow him and she did. "Marianne, I see you are a woman of great taste," he said. "Come and see my private art collection."

He led her towards a locked door, which also had a five digit pin code on it. "You double lock a door in your own house?" she asked.

"These are… specialist, and incredibly valuable," Frank said.

"Dare I ask if they're stolen?" Ruth asked with her best attempt at a winning smile.

"Well, they were obtained through less than honest means," he said. "But I think you have the eye to appreciate them." Ruth walked in and her jaw dropped. Almost every piece missing from major European museums over the past twenty years were lined up on the walls. All the police needed to do was raid this mansion and Chambers would easily be put away for at least ten years. And probably more.

"These are… beautifully impressive," Ruth said. "Magnificent."

"Mm," Frank said. His hand rested on the base of her spine and Ruth started to feel alarm bells ringing in her mind. Then Frank's hand went lower.

"I don't think Jonathan would like you touching me," Ruth said, remembering her legend.

"Oh he wont mind," Frank said.

"He doesn't like to share me," Ruth said, trying to step away. Frank grabbed her wrist to stop her from moving and looked at her.

"With the amount of money we're going to make together from this deal, he wont mind sharing you," Frank said. "Trust me."

Ruth was about to object further, but Frank kissed her and she flinched backwards. He had an iron grip around her, the other hand sliding down her body to the slit in her dress. "No," Ruth said as firmly as she could.

"Oh, live a little," Frank said, his hand on her thigh and rising higher. "What do you think Jonathan's doing with Holly right now?"

"Get your hands off of me!" Ruth said, raising her voice and struggling violently now. He gripped her, his arm around her back like a vice and his other hand mauling her. It felt like he was just everywhere and she felt panic creeping in. With all of her strength, she kneed him in the balls. He groaned in pain and let her go. And she ran.

* * *

Ruth rushed through their bedroom door, locked it, shoved the customary chair under the door handle and then faced the closed door, leaning her palms against it and breathing heavily.

"I was just about to go looking for you," Harry said. She hadn't even realised he was in the room. "I've only just detached myself from Holly and…" he stopped as he realised that Ruth hadn't moved and she was still not looking at him. "Ruth?" He looked at her and saw the split on her dress was torn, and a lot more of her leg was showing than the last time he'd seen her. "Ruth, did he touch you?" Harry asked, his voice very calm, even though his mind was racing and panicking. He counted to sixty in his head before speaking again. A very long sixty seconds. "Please say something."

She turned to face him and his heart stopped. Her make up was smudged, her lipstick had been smeared almost completely away and there were tears in her eyes. "What did he do?" he asked, his voice still shockingly calm to his own ears, when his blood was boiling.

"Kiss me." Harry didn't have a chance to respond, because she took two steps forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his. He froze, completely shocked, and then he pushed her away.

"Ruth, tell me what happened," he said urgently, gripping her arms.

"Nothing," she said breathlessly. "He tried it on, I said no, he carried on, I kicked him and ran. Now shut up and kiss me." She seemed so urgent that he couldn't think of anything to do but kiss her. It was a long, deep embrace and he wrapped his arms around her. When she parted from him to get some air into her lungs, he had to speak.

"Ruth, don't you want to talk about it?"

"No," she said surely. "I want you."

"Ruth…"

"Now," she said. "And I'm fairly sure you want me too." For the first time, she looked slightly nervous and unsure of herself.

"Of course I do," he said without thinking about it. "You know I do."

"Then stop thinking and shut up," she said, kissing him again. Harry rested his hands on the base of her back and sighed as her tongue traced his lips in a delightfully slow and erotic way. He was holding back still, and she knew it.

"Harry, please," she said. "I want you and I'm tired of waiting." He looked at her, determination and desire both clear in her blue eyes, but he was still fighting between his instincts. He wanted to ravish her, and he wanted to stop this before she ended up regretting it. Because he couldn't live with that.

She smiled at him, took his hand in hers and placed it on her breast. That completely ruined any restrain that he may have had left. He kissed her, his hand squeezing her warm full breast lightly. She groaned, her fingers working under his shirt and slowly sliding up his back. Their lips were colliding with heat and passion when Ruth gasped, feeling Harry's hand on her thigh, his palm reaching through the slit in the dress as his fingertips went higher and higher. She could feel heat coiling inside her and she was suddenly aware of how desperately she desired this man. His fingers on her leg were soft but sure, and she wanted to know how he would feel everywhere on her body. She kissed him again, deeply as his palm moved up her leg to her hip. His fingers reached her thong and slipped under the elastic. He could tell it was lacy, flimsy and expensive.

"For your legend?" he asked quietly, touching the material.

"No," she said. "For you. Always for you." He smiled, and then bent his head to kiss her neck as she sighed. He wouldn't stop now. He couldn't.

* * *

**More soon I hope! (Trying to keep this story at a T rating by the way.)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Another chapter. I hope this one makes sense, as I'm so tired I can't see straight, so please forgive any spelling errors.**

* * *

Ruth had been dozing lightly and awoke with a start, freezing cold air rushing over her skin. She reached across the bed, wanting to touch Harry. Her hand found nothing but the damp patch on the mattress. She sat up and blinked. The French windows were open, letting in a cold breeze, and Harry was stood on the balcony, completely naked. God, he must be freezing. She was cold simply from the breeze, even wrapped up in the duvet. She got up and threw a dressing gown on, taking another one for Harry. She walked out to the balcony and his face came into view. He was looking out over the grounds, and into the distance, the lights from the town shining brightly.

"Harry?"

"Hm," he said distractedly.

"Are you always this maudlin after sex?" she asked. He looked at her and forced a smile but didn't speak. "Put this on, you must be freezing." Harry silently took it and slipped his arms into it, but he didn't bother to tie it. Ruth could see everything, and even soft, he was rather impressive. She smiled to herself, remembering the feeling of him hard inside her. The smile faded when she looked at the expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Then she confronted her worst fear. "Did you not enjoy it?" she asked quietly. "Was it not… Was I not… what you expected?"

"God, no," he said, drawn from his silence and turning to her. "How could you even think that?"

"I wake up and find you looking suicidal, standing naked on the balcony. It's not a ridiculous assumption to make, Harry."

"No," he said firmly. "That was…" he smiled at her, a genuine soft Harry smile. "Well, you know what that was."

"I do," she agreed, smiling back. "Then what's wrong?"

"We shouldn't… No, **_I_ **shouldn't have done that."

"Harry, you did nothing that I didn't want. Quite the opposite."

"I know, but… after what Frank did or nearly did, I should have shown more restraint."

"Harry, you are nothing like Frank Chambers."

"I took advantage of you," he said simply.

"What would you have done, if at any point I had said no?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said.

"No," she said patiently. "Not nothing. You'd have stopped. Instantly. I'm not fragile and I'm not going to break if you touch me. I can make my own decisions."

He smiled at her. "You're right," he said.

"Good," she said. "Now you've moved out of self pity, come back to bed. Please."

"Okay," he said. He followed her back into the bedroom, closing the French windows behind him. In silence they got back into bed and Harry wrapped his arms around Ruth's naked body, pulling her close. Their bodies were pressed against each other in a wonderfully comforting way. Harry's hand stroked her rib cage very slowly. She sighed under his soothing touch.

"You know, I can't quite believe I can touch you like this," he said quietly.

"Mm," she said, stroking his chest gently. The whole event had a certain dreamlike quality to it, so she could see where he was coming from. "What are we going to do about Frank Chambers?"

"I'm going to strangle him or shoot him for touching you," Harry said darkly.

"Is that what you plan to do to every man who so much as looks at me from now on?" she asked, only slightly offended by the implication that she couldn't take care of herself without his interference. It felt rather nice to have Harry taking care of her.

"No," he said. "But I will be very angry towards anyone who touches you without your permission."

"I'm serious Harry," she said. "What are we going to do about him?"

"I'm going to tell him that in no uncertain terms are you available as part of our business negotiations."

"Mm," Ruth said darkly. "Is that you talking or Jonathan Golding?"

"Maybe a bit of both," Harry said. "Unless of course you want Frank's attention?"

"You know I don't," she said. "I only want you to touch me." His hand slid between her legs and stroked her, much to her pleasure. She opened her thighs and sighed, her head resting against his shoulder. He kissed her hair gently as his fingers played her expertly. He quickly brought her to orgasm, her gasps of pleasure muffled by his chest. He stroked her hair for several moments until she came back to herself, and kissed his lips gently.

"Thank you."

"Go to sleep," he said gently. "I'll work out how to deal with Frank in the morning." She took his advice.

* * *

Ruth stayed in their bedroom the next day, feigning illness so she could both avoid Frank and call the grid on an encrypted phone line. After she'd given her pass codes Jo picked up.

"Is the line secure?" Ruth asked.

"Yes," Jo said. "How's the operation?"

"We're not getting anything good from Chambers. He's keeping his cards close, and he's a complete weasel. God, I want to get off of this operation and back to London as soon as possible."

"Why?" Jo asked.

"Because Frank Chambers makes my skin crawl," Ruth said simply. "And he doesn't understand the meaning of the word no."

"Surely… having Harry to yourself has some… advantages?" Jo pressed. She tried to be careful, but she also was very curious.

"Jo, firstly that's none of your business, secondly the romance is severely marred by the fact that a psychotic terrorist wants his hands all over me."

"Are you all right?" Jo asked, concerned.

"Yes," Ruth said. "I'm pretending to be sick to get away from him. By the way, tell the local police force to get a warrant for this house. There's so many stolen paintings here, it's unreal. It would send him to prison for at least fifteen years."

_And then I wouldn't have to deal with him_, she thought to herself.

"How many?"

"Three dozen or more," Ruth said. "Plenty."

"Do you really want to get out of there?" Jo asked. "We can remove you, if Harry agrees."

Ruth sighed heavily. "No, I'm just… worried. This is why I don't go undercover. I analyse everything from all angles and worry more than I need to."

"Okay," Jo said. "As long as you're sure?"

Ruth paused for a moment. "I'm sure."

* * *

**More when it's written.**


	9. Chapter 9

**This chapter took a turn I hadn't expected. Hope its enjoyed anyway.**

* * *

Ruth had been holed up in their room all day, with Harry making one brief appearance with a tray of food for her around lunch time.

Later in the evening Harry had come up after dinner and collapsed on the bed.

"Tough evening?"

"Yes," he said, closing his eyes briefly. "I missed you." He opened his eyes and took in Ruth's appearance. She'd been reading in bed, but her nightdress left her arms and most of her shoulders completely bare and he closed his eyes again so he wouldn't be tempted to do anything without thinking it through. Habits were hard to break after all.

"How did Frank take my absence?" Ruth asked, smiling at Harry who was so clearly exhausted.

"You were barely even mentioned," Harry said. "I had a feeling he was slightly embarrassed by his behaviour, and he's choosing to ignore it. Anyway, we can leave here tomorrow."

"We can?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes," Harry said. "Chambers spilt his guts to me and I have it all recorded. So we can leave."

"Why not now?"

Harry paused. The honest answer was that he didn't want to leave. He'd only had Ruth to himself for one night, and he was greedy for another one. Also, deep inside in a part of him he wasn't even acknowledging, he was a little afraid that once they'd left this place, Ruth's openness towards a relationship with him would vanish. If they hadn't been pushed into this circumstance, would they ever have slept together? Aloud, he said "it's late. Frank Chambers isn't going anywhere, and he's been speaking to me about taking over operations if anything happens to hamper his ability to run the drug operation."

"Does he know he's in danger?" Ruth asked.

"No," Harry said surely. "It was mentioned in very vague terms, all up in the air. I'm sure he's no idea. And I certainly haven't tipped him off."

"Are you positive?"

"I think thirty years of experience tells me when a target is suspicious." Harry smiled at her. "You're worrying a bit too much."

"Yes," she said. "Well, I'm not a field agent. And I don't like him either. But that might just be a response to last night." She shook her head slightly to clear her mind. "Now tell me the real reason you don't want to leave now." Harry sighed and stood up, taking his jacket off and undoing a few buttons of his shirt. "Don't think you'll distract me by stripping," Ruth said.

"No?"

"No." She smiled at him. "But by all means, try it." He grinned at her.

"I want another night with you," he said simply.

"Oh," she said with raised eyebrows.

"No, not for sex," he said. "Not that I'd object, but that wasn't what I meant. It's just… if we weren't here, last night wouldn't have happened. And I liked last night."

"You _liked_ last night?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, liked might be a bit of an understatement," he said with a Harry smile which melted her heart. "I don't want to go back to the real world just yet."

"Harry, I'm not going to change my mind," she said quietly, getting up and walking towards him. "I've wanted this to happen for a long time. The fact that it happened here was… just a product of the time we were spending together. It doesn't mean anything other than that." She reached for him and kissed his lips gently. He wrapped his arms around her, hands on the base of her spine, pulling her close.

"Mm, you're not wearing a bra."

"In case you hadn't noticed, I've changed for bed." He looked at her nightdress appreciatively. It was black, revealing and skimmed her thighs in a very tempting way.

"Oh, I noticed." He lowered his hands until his palms were on the back of her legs, then slipping under her nightdress, on her arse. He pulled her body towards his, keeping her close. Harry looked into her beautiful blue eyes, sparkling at him and he kissed her again.

"I think we need to get into bed," she said. "Now." He nodded in agreement and she smiled.

* * *

Ruth lay down, her head pillowed on Harry's shoulder as she stared at the ceiling. Her body was still tingling from where Harry had touched her and been inside her.

"I want to ask you an awkward question," Harry said.

She turned over and looked at him. "Go on then."

Harry bit his lip for a moment and then sighed, giving it a go. "George."

"Ah." Ruth pulled the duvet closer around her and Harry felt his heart sink as he could almost feel the walls being put up between them. "Did you think a good time to mention this was after sex?"

"Well… forget it," he said with a shrug. He was feeling uncomfortable and almost wished he'd never mentioned it in the first place. Almost.

"No, its only fair," she said. "We've never talked about… that." She sighed and wrapped a sheet around her as she sat up in bed. "I was frightened, being abroad with no chance of going back to Britain or London ever again. And I was more lonely than I could ever have imagined being. To be in countries where you so rarely hear English spoken, to be a permanent stranger… it's wearing and I was so lonely. So, after about a year, I realised that I had to build a life. I wouldn't be going home, and there was no point in staying on the run, moving from place to place every couple of weeks. I had to settle down. I had to start my life again."

"Okay," he said quietly. He stroked her hair gently, waiting for her to continue. But she said nothing. "Did you love him?"

"No," she said. "In a way, that made it worse. I was using him, and… it went too far. I should have left him before, because I didn't feel anything but…"

Her face turned clouded over and Harry worried about what she was going to say. He squeezed her hand. "Look, you don't have to tell me. It's not really any of my business."

"I had a miscarriage." Harry stayed perfectly still, trying to hide his shock. "I… it took me a long time to get over it. I became… dependent on him, and it was easier to stay than to leave."

"You had a miscarriage?" he said quietly.

"Yes," she said.

"Why'd you never tell me?"

"I just did." She laid down again with a sigh. "When am I supposed to mention it Harry, in between briefings? While we're tracking down the latest terrorists?"

"Fair point," he conceded. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that. I never… imagined."

"Yes," she said sadly. "Well, I lived with it. It was hard, and I do think of the child I lost often, but… There isn't much I can do about it."

"You're strong," he said quietly.

"I didn't feel strong at the time," she said. "I felt… like my heart had been ripped out." Neither said anything as Ruth curled into his shoulder and he held her close. They spent maybe ten minutes in a quiet calm before she spoke. "What about you? Was there ever anyone? In those three years?"

"I didn't have a relationship," he said. "There were a couple of… encounters, but it was just sex. Nothing more."

She smiled at him but said nothing. In all honesty she couldn't think of anything else to say. She curled into his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her tightly.

"It's taken us a long time to get here," he said.

"Mmhmm," she agreed. She closed her eyes, as did he and eventually they drifted off to sleep, their arms still around each other.

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**More soon. Thank you so much for the reviews for this fic, especially with the sporadic updates.**


	10. Chapter 10

**This is the last chapter. Enjoy.**

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By lunch time Ruth found herself alone in her house, as if the entire week hadn't even happened. She'd barely even seen Harry today. They'd driven back to London separately as Harry informed Adam of the information on Chambers. So apart from waking up with him, she'd barely seen him. It was as if their brief paradise of the past few days had been abruptly broken. And she didn't like it one bit.

Ruth unpacked her suitcase, shoving clothes into the washing machine as she went. Including her new underwear which had been used to great effect. She smiled at the memory, her body feeling sensitive at the visions filling her mind. She'd just turned the machine on, when her doorbell rang.

Opening her front door, she found Harry there, looking very good indeed. A light blue shirt, open at the collar showing the patch of skin which she already knew she enjoyed kissing and a dark jacket. That, accompanied by the smile on his face had her heart skipping a beat. "Come in."

He did, smiling at her as he followed her, through her hallway and into her kitchen. "Tea?"

"That'd be great," he said quietly. He sat down and watched as she filled the kettle and busied herself making their drinks. He watched her, the silence only slightly uncomfortable. When she had finished she gave him his mug and sat down opposite him.

"Everything all right on the grid?" she asked.

"Mm," he said. "You'll need to be debriefed but I've shelved it until tomorrow, so you can have a day off."

"I don't need special treatment," she said quietly. "At work you have to treat me like any other employee."

"I know," he said. "As much as I'd like to sneak kisses with you at work." She smiled at him, feeling the remembered touch of his lips on hers. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you to dinner tonight. I'd like to go out with you without being in Frank Chambers house, or under his shadow. To have an evening together without mentioning our legends or MI5 or the grid."

"Mm," she said. "That sounds nice." She looked at him over the edge of her mug and her eyes were sparkling at him.

"I'll pick you up at seven?"

"Yes," she said. "That sounds great. Where are we going?"

"I haven't booked anywhere," he said. "Any preference?"

"Surprise me. I don't like Thai food though."

"Okay," he said. "No Thai food then." Ruth looked at him, but Harry didn't seem to be in a rush to leave, or to say anything else. She saw the deep furrowed lines on his forehead and wanted to know what he was thinking about. She reached across the table and covered his hand with hers.

"Talk to me," she said. "Please."

"I didn't think," Harry said. "In the mansion, when we…"

"Had sex," Ruth finished for him.

"Yes. I didn't think about… protection."

"Oh, don't worry," she said. "I'm on the pill."

"Since when?" he asked.

"Since long before I came back to Britain," she said. "I… with my miscarriage, I hadn't planned to get pregnant. I made sure another accident wouldn't happen. I didn't want to… live with the heartbreak again."

"I'm sorry," he said. She looked at him and knew he meant it. He wasn't sorry for bringing up the subject, or mentioning a painful time. He was sorry that she'd been so badly hurt in the past.

"I know you are," she said quietly. She leant over the table and kissed him lightly. "Thank you Harry."

"For what?" he asked.

"Just for being you." She took a gulp of tea, and then continued. "I want you to be honest with me," she said.

"About what?"

"Everything," she said. "For our relationship to work, we both need to be honest with each other. We lie all the time at work. It's necessary with what we do, but I don't want to lie with you."

He smiled at her and squeezed her hand tightly. "Yes. Of course. That's fair." She kissed him again over the table. When they parted, Harry stroked her hair gently, their faces only a few inches away from each other. "I love you," he said.

Her eyes widened for a moment in surprise and then she calmed down. "It's a little soon isn't it?"

"No," he said. "It's about three years overdue. And it's as honest as I can be."

"Mm," she said. She kissed him again before speaking. A long soft gentle kiss. "I love you too."

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**A new fic will be appearing soon, and thank you for all the reviews so far. Hope you can leave one last one.**


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